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In other What This Town Needs Articles, as well as on the introduction page to the parks section on Our LosBanos .com we have spoken of how much we appreciate the Los Banos Park System. As a family we truly appreciate the number and variety of parks in Los Banos Ca and hope that the city will continue to build new parks within each new subdivision.

The parks in this town offer facilities that can please almost everyone. There are places to fly kites, there are lots of places to play baseball, soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, and horseshoes. There is a park or two with an exercise course, there are places to have barbecue parties for small families all the way up to large groups. We even have a skateboard park complete with cast in concrete trick features. We really do have a great variety of facilities to choose from in Los Banos.

Still... I'd like to see one more activity added to the list of activities available at Los Banos parks: Water Play !!!

Nobody needs to tell anyone who has lived for any time in the San Joaquin valley that it gets HOT here in the summers. At the time I am writing this we have just come out of a 12 day stretch of temperatures over 100 degrees sometimes pushing thermometers in Los Banos to as much as 112 degrees. While many residents have their own swimming pools not everyone does and I think it would be nice to have at least one park in this town where people could go to cool off for free on hot summer days.

I believe that there would be a large number of people in Los Banos that would find a park with water play features beneficial. Not only is it a good place to cool off but because it is fun and allows for supervised activities, but a park with a water play feature would be a natural place for families to congregate and have fun with each other. In cities where parks have these features I have seen dozens of families bring their kids while the parents sit around and get to know each other. Water play facilities are not usually extensive so they kind of force families together where the parents can chit chat and make friends while their kids splash around in wading pools, intermittent spray fountains, bubblers, or mini water slides.

For those of you that are a little more cerebral, water play is said to enhance child development particularly for sensory development in young children. But there is a better reason...

I would be remiss if I didn't simply note that from the perspective of the young and the young at heart that water play facilities are just plain fun. It matters little if it is just timed water blasts, small slides, wading areas, or something even more extensive - water play facilities are just plain enjoyable... and that really is what parks are all about isn't it?

Members of our city leadership has expressed that they would like the Henry Miller Plaza to become a real focal point for this city. I agree with this sentiment. I think the Henry Miller Plaza added some good old fashioned CLASS to the downtown area and it is a place that I think the plaza is still underutilized. In my opinion, a water feature would be a natural addition to the far end of the Henry Miller Plaza. I also must respectfully note that I find it somewhat disrespectful to see kids climbing on the statuary in the plaza and wading in the water which is meant for decoration only. A high class, attractive, and intriguing water play area within easy walking distance of good ol Mr. Miller's horse would be an attractive and useful addition to the plaza area and it would tend to keep the kids out of the water at the base of the statue of Mr. Miller.

Having made a case for putting a water play feature in to Henry Miller Plaza, I must say that I would be pleased to see a water play area added to any of our large parks. It would be a wonderful place for our residents to gather, it would be fun, and most importantly it would be a great place for us to escape the searing heat of the summer sun that beats Los Banos residents to indoor retreats every summer.

A park with a water play area would be a most welcome addition to the Los Banos park system.

What do you think? Would you like to see a water play area in Los Banos? Discus it on our Los Banos Bulletin Boards!

Related Links: Los Banos Parks